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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Cold water immersion events little-known boating danger
Hypothermia or cold
water immersion? What’s the
difference? Is there one?
Most everyone has heard
about hypothermia, and how
deadly it can be. During the
past few years, experts have
separated hypothermia from
cold water immersion, and
for good reason. Strictly
speaking, the definition of
hypothermia is “… an abnor-
mally low body temperature,
often caused by prolonged
exposure to cold.”
Cold water immersion is
characterized as the event
often preceding actual hypo-
thermia.
Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, a
professor of thermophysiol-
ogy at the University of Mani-
toba, when referring to a cold
water event said, “You should
be lucky to live long enough
to die of hypothermia.” He
has found that the body core
temperature (as measured
with an esophageal ther-
mometer) can take an hour or
more to drop below 95°F (the
approximate temperature at
which hypothermia begins)
during a cold water immersion
incident.
What does this mean to
the average recreational
boater? In the real world,
there are a huge number of
variables that can determine
when and if a boater will
b e c o me h y p o t h e r mi c .
Physiology, type of clothing
worn, water temperature, air
temperature, state of mind
and even movement while in
the water can accelerate
hypothermia.
So why should we be
lucky to live long enough to
die of hypothermia?
Because the effects of a
cold water immersion event
can contribute to death well
in advance of any drop of
body core temperature.
Cold water (below 70°F)
exists in all the contiguous
states (and Alaska) at least
during the winter months.
Even in Hawaii, the water is
barely more than 70° at times,
according to the National
Oceanographic Data Center.
To think that you are
protected from the effects of
cold water immersion simply
because it’s a warm day can
be fatal.
Why? Because cold
water has several immediate
effects -- any one of which
can kill you.
You just experienced an
unexpected fall overboard
and experience Initial
Immersion Cold Shock. The
involuntary gasp reflex
causes you to take a deep
breath. If you are lucky
enough to have your head
above water, you might not
drown immediately.
You start hyperventilating
as your blood pressure spikes
and your heart rate jumps. If
you cannot control your
breathing within 60 seconds,
you could suffer numbness,
muscle weakness or even
fainting, leading to drowning.
If you have underlying cardiac
disease, you may experience
sudden death due to cardiac
arrest or ventricular
fibrillation.
If you survive the initial
immersion cold shock, you
will progress to the second
stage: Cold Incapacitation.
The smaller blood vessels will
constrict (vasoconstriction)
and keep the warmer blood
closer to the
body’s core
and organs.
R a p i d
cooling
of
limb tissue
c a u s e s
muscular
failure and
you will no
longer
be
able to swim
or maintain
position in the water.
Most people have
approximately 10 minutes to
get out of the water. Cold
incapacitation is extremely
painful prior to numbness
setting in.
Hypothermia is the third
stage and usually takes
approximately an hour,
depending on circumstances.
Continued heat loss will result
in the lowering of core
temperature. Violent shivering
occurs during mild
hypothermia and decreases as
people enter moderate
hypothermia.
People lose consciousness
when their body core
temperature drops below 86°
F. Death is imminent when the
core temperature drops below
82° F in severe hypothermia.
The fourth stage is
Circum-Rescue Collapse.
Trained rescuers understand
the dangers of this stage and
can take preventative
measures. Again, survival to
stage four only means the
person was lucky enough to
get this far, but they’re not
out of the woods yet.
When the rescuers arrive,
victims can experience a
mental relaxation and
decreased output of stress
hormones that could result in
a drop of blood pressure
causing fainting and
subsequent drowning. Pulling
a victim out of the water in a
vertical position removes the
hydrostatic squeeze (water
pressure) around the lower
limbs and may cause blood
pooling in these extremities
and subsequent decreased
blood pressure.
There is also the danger
of cooled blood hitting the
heart, causing a reflex cardiac
arrest. Gentle handling of the
victim is critical.
We already know that
falls overboard and capsizing
account for 57 percent of all
recreational fatalities. What
can be done to prevent a cold
water immersion event? It’s
really quite simple, yet
recreational boaters still
struggle to factor in water
temperature with their risk
assessments.
The smart boater is
wearing a personal flotation
device. There is no time to
don a life jacket prior to an
unexpected fall overboard or
capsizing. And without the
flotation provided by a life
jacket, a boater may not be
able to keep his or her head
above water. A life jacket is
invaluable to help avoid
drowning with the initial
immersion cold shock.
Few boaters truly
understand the risks involved
with a cold water immersion
incident. Those who’ve
survived a dunking in cold
water have respect for cold
water and seldom allow
themselves the opportunity
for a fall overboard or
capsizing.
(The preceding is from
Small Craft Advisory, the
official publication of the
National Association of State
Boating Law Administrators.)
McGrew Trail closure noted
On Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15, U.S. Forest Ser-
vice Roads 4402450, 4402530, 4402172, 4402112, 4402019,
4400445, and 4400461 will be closed to public motorized traffic
to facilitate the McGrew Trail Ride special event.
The Pacific Northwest Four Wheel Drive Association is
sponsoring the event in the O’Brien area.
This closure is necessary, said USFS, to facilitate safe use of
roads during the event.
Fish..
Tale..
6-pack bottles
6-pack bottles
$7
$5 . 89
. 09
plus deposit
plus deposit
Busch
6-pack
16 oz.
12-pack
cans
$4 . 59
$7 . 99
plus deposit
We have Father’s Day Cards!
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables for a
summer picnic or holiday feast
Make Father’s Day special
with dinner
at
PRODUCE+
Saturday:
Farmers’ Market
Vendors
$10 space rental
across from 76, downtown CJ
Mon.-Sat. 8:30-6, Sun. 11-3
(541) 592-5473
S TEAKHOUSE & S ALOON
126 S. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction
592-2892 or 592-4222
THE
Open Father’s Day
C H AT E A U
June 15, 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
AT THE
OREGON CAVES
Come see our new building. Drive-thru Open
Located at the Oregon Caves National Monument
(541) 592 - 3400
Father’s Day Dinner Specials
120 N. Redwood Hwy. 592-4553 for reservations
25870 Redwood Hwy.
(541) 592-3265
All entrees served with bread and choice of soup or salad
Prime Rib
$18.95
choice of mashed or baked potato, vegetable of the day or
baked beans, soup or salad, and bread.
Baby Back Barbequed Ribs
Taylor’s Country Store...A great place to eat or shop for Father’s Day!
$15.95
choice of mashed or baked potato, vegetable of the day or
baked beans, soup or salad, and bread.
Reservations are Requested (541) 592 - 3400
The Oregon Caves Outfitters is a licensed concessionaire of the
National Park Service
Dad would really like an
Ice Cream Cake
for
Father’s Day!
Special Gift for Fathers
FREE ADMISSION
when accompanied by a paying adult
11-4, Sunday, June 15
Adults $4 Seniors $3
Kids 6-16 $2 5 & younger FREE
Heritage Center
of the
Illinois Valley
24195 Redwood Hwy.
541-592-5252
Try us for breakfast! Like Hobo Taters or Biscuits and Gravy, huge
portion only $2 50 !
Our breakfast sandwiches are the biggest around, freshly homemade
and only $2 50 !
Lots of other big value breakfast items to choose from.
For lunch, we have big fresh sandwiches, homemade hot dogs, freshly
ground burgers, terrific onion rings and fries, barbecue ribs, homemade
salads, more, more, more!
And on Fridays, we feature Live Music and a full dinner menu with
Prime Rib, New York Steak and Coconut Shrimp, Fresh Fish specials and
much more. Come join the fun. Music starts at 5:30 and the fun lasts till
8:30 every Friday night.
But before you eat and while you are still hungry, spend some time
shopping our full deli. Try our jerky. We have Buffalo, Elk, Emu and Beef
in many flavors and all are wonderful snacks. We also make about 75
types of gourmet sausages, many hickory smoked, many preservative
free, and all delicious and so useful in many ways. We also carry the
freshest fish, choice steaks and roasts, extra fresh pork cuts, Umpqua
ice cream, Rumiano and Tillamook cheeses, olives, pickles and so much
more!
Especially great for Father’s Day:
Taylor’s Pepper Sticks $5 49 lb.
Our famous Trailbuster Jerky $11 99 lb.
USDA Choice New York or Rib-eye steaks $9 99 lb.
Mon-Thurs, 6 am-7 pm; Fri, 6 am-8:30 pm;
Sat, 7 am-7 pm; Sun, 8 am-7 pm
Downtown Cave Junction